When evaluating success with respect to student achievement in relation to Berea’s mission, College administrators and faculty consider course completion data, the results of state licensing examinations (in program areas that have these requirements), and job placement rates as well as job types and continuing education pursued by graduates.

Course completion data (including grade distributions, incompletes, and course withdrawal information) and degree completion rates are reported annually to the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty, and academic department chairs by the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment. These data are provided to department chairs and administrators as part of a comprehensive and department-specific compendium of information.

Degree completion, retention, and graduation rate data (by freshman cohorts) are also shared with administrators and faculty in the annually produced Fact Book as well as in special presentations to the faculty and Board of Trustees. The College also tracks freshman-to-sophomore retention, graduation rates at four, five, six years and beyond, and retention and graduation data by various types of students (gender, cohort type—International vs. African American vs. Other Domestic—, and by transfer students).

Course data, completion rates, and similar indices are considered by each academic department in their 10-Year Self-Studies, in their Departmental Effectiveness reports, and in any special reviews. In addition, specific departments such as Nursing are accredited by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing’s Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE). This process is reinitiated every 10 years or sooner depending on the success of the program in demonstrating continued compliance and improvements in the quality of the educational program.

Berea College’s teacher education programs are accredited by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board and by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Under Title II of the Higher Education Act, as amended in 2008, Berea College reported that 100% of its graduates for 2009-2010 obtained satisfactory scores on the Praxis II examinations required for the teaching license. Program information, goals for increasing the number of teachers in identified areas and additional questions about teacher preparation can also be found in the current Title II Report Card. Students who successfully complete Berea College’s teacher education program are eligible for certification in Kentucky and in other states. Additional program information may be found through the Kentucky Educator Preparation Program (KEPP) report card.

The College uses national surveys of graduating seniors and alumni to gather information on job placement, job type, salary, and graduate school attendance. All data from these surveys are summarized and reported in the Academic Department Data Binders given annually to individual academic departments and the Academic Vice President and Dean of the Faculty.

For a complete description of how we assess our students’ achievement in their academic programs, general education, and in labor, see the narrative response for Standard 4(Comprehensive Standard 3.3.1.1).